ThirtyOne Connect Recap – Receiving NEWness

ThirtyOne Connect Recap – Receiving NEWness

Today we are recapping our ThirtyOne Connect teaching from Friday, August 14th!

Be sure to join us on Friday, September 11th for the next Connect!!

As August (the 8th month) has continued to unfold, we are reminded that the number 8 means new beginnings; resurrection, just like Isaiah 43:18-20 says – everything that’s happened before has been wonderful, but the Lord is doing a NEW thing.

This could mean a lot of things – Maybe for you it’s a new job/career, some kind of transition. Perhaps it’s a new relationship, just a sense of freshness, or the resurrection of a dream, new grace on your life, or a new venture/hobby. It could be new eyes to see, a renewing of your faith or endurance, a new routine, new vision, new strength, or some other kind of new beginning.

God is all about NEW. He makes ALL things new (Revelation 21:5). He declares that when we receive Jesus, all the old things pass away, and all things have become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). We become a NEW creation at that moment, but I believe we can also be made new perpetually; every moment, every day, we can say, “Wow! I am a new creation right now. I am changed!”

However, to receive the new, you have to let go of the old. Sometimes this means letting go of the familiar and the comfortable. Newness is exciting. But it can also be scary – the change, unchartered territory. But God is the Author of newness so we can trust the NEW work He’s doing in our life.

Today, we’ll cover 3 Barriers to God’s NEW work in our life and how to overcome them

Firstly, Fear of Change. When things become new, it can be unsettling! But we have to remember that GOD is WITH US.

But now thus says the Lord,

He who created you, O Jacob,

He who formed you, O Israel:

“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;

I have called you by name, you are mine.

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;

and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;

when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,

and the flame shall not consume you.

For I am the Lord your God,

the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

I give Egypt as your ransom,

Cush and Seba in exchange for you.

Because you are precious in my eyes,

and honored, and I love you,

I give men in return for you,

peoples in exchange for your life.

Fear not, for I amwithyou…“

{Isaiah 43:1-5a ESV}

It’s like God gave Israel the revelation that He was with them and encouraged them to “fear not” BEFORE they even knew anything NEW was coming (see v. 18-20). Often, God will give us some word of encouragement that doesn’t make any sense (at the time) because it’s the EXACT Word we’ll need as we enter the next season!! Watch for it, listen for it, receive it, and then step into it!

Yet hope returns when I remember this one thing: The Lord ‘s unfailing love and mercy still continue, Fresh as the morning, as sure as the sunrise. The Lord is all I have, and so in him I put my hope. (‭Lamentations‬ ‭3‬:‭21-24‬ GNT)

With the sunrise every morning, we have an opportunity to start over with Him everyday – there’s a freshness:

-To choose life, to choose His blessings-no matter for yesterday
-to get His instructions about what our part is for that day
-to choose to receive His love
-to receive His mercy and grace for the day
-and everyday we begin our day in a higher place than yesterday-He always takes us higher

But so often, distractions (the second barrier) try to come in and take us from that time with Him in the morning… (Can I get a witness?)

-over sleeping
-getting kids off to school

-social media

-hurt emotions

-fear

To overcome distractions, we need to stay FOCUSed on Him.

“You will guard him and keep him in perfect and constant peace whose mind [both its inclination and its character] is stayed on You, because he commits himself to You, leans on You, and hopes confidently in You. So trust in the Lord (commit yourself to Him, lean on Him, hope confidently in Him) forever; for the Lord God is an everlasting Rock [the Rock of Ages].” (‭Isaiah‬ ‭26‬:‭3-4‬ AMP)

So how do we carve out that time consistently?

Here are some practical ways:

-pray with children at breakfast or on way to school

-set a habit of 30 minutes just like putting on makeup
-the more time we spend the more we want
-take your coffee break to pray with Him
-or nap time

THEREFORE THEN, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses [who have borne testimony to the Truth], let us strip off and throw aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight) and that sin which so readily (deftly and cleverly) clings to and entangles us, and let us run with patient endurance and steady and active persistence the appointed course of the race that is set before us, Looking away [from all that will distract] to Jesus, Who is the Leader and the Source of our faith [giving the first incentive for our belief] and is also its Finisher [bringing it to maturity and perfection]. He, for the joy [of obtaining the prize] that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising and ignoring the shame, and is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God. [Ps. 110:1.] (‭Hebrews‬ ‭12‬:‭1-2‬ AMP)

That peace that comes from staying focused and knowing He’s with you is so wonderful. His peace guards and keeps us!

The Bible also mentions that HOPE {confident expectation of good} is the anchor for our soul – mind, will and emotions.

The last barrier to newness is the Fear of disappointment.

Do we have the hope and courage to believe and receive the newness?

Often when we’re waiting for the newness to manifest, we have “our hopes up” and it feels risky. Even if you’re not in transition – there’s new revelation or a renewing of strength or a renewal available. Everyday, there’s newness available – new challenges, new insight, new people… Press into Him in those seasons and ask for a refreshing (Those who wait upon the Lord, will RENEW their strength… Isaiah 40:31).

“Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a dream fulfilled is a tree of life.” (Proverbs 13:12)

Newness doesn’t happen overnight — it’s not always immediate, but there are times of supernatural acceleration too; immediate healing, newness is not always relative to time – it can be a growing newness or a sudden newness.

Receiving the newness isn’t hard. It’s as simple as opening your heart to receive – like a child; not like an adult trying to logically judge.

But what if you’re disappointed? Romans 5:1-5 says this HOPE will NOT disappoint!! Look for hope and newness everyday – you won’t get hopes let down.

So the way to overcome the fear of disappointment is to stir up our CONFIDENT expectation of good! We do this by clinging to His promise, holding on to His Word.

The knowing, confident, and fully persuaded – no room for doubt

God is with you!!

He is for you!!

He is in you!!

Receive the NEW.

-In what areas are you struggling to trust God and let go?

-What distractions are trying to take you off course? (Things that are draining your time, zapping your energy, pulling you away from Him, etc.)